I mean. If that title is reeling you in, we’re already friends. These bars are my idea of perfection – they’re not too sweet, so they seem equally appropriate for brunch with tea, or when you want a treat after dinner but don’t want to feel too full. If you’ve already made my Raspberry-Rhubarb Bars, you’ll notice several similarities! The base is very much the same, but I’ve swapped out a few key ingredients so they taste quite different. In Michigan, the blueberries are starting to get a little more sour – the particular variety I used for these bars is called Elliot. When peaches are ripe and need to be used that day, their juicy, luscious flavor makes a perfect complement to the little blue jewels of late summer.

You’re likely familiar with my near obsession for eating what is available locally and perfectly in season. So right now, as we welcome September, do yourself a favor and hold on to summer with these.

Peach-Blueberry Bars with Pistachio-Honey Crumble

The Crumble:
1 c. rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. + 1 TBSP spelt flour (just use more all-purpose if you don’t have spelt; I use it for its nutty flavor)
1/4 c. pure, local honey
1/4 c. light brown sugar
1/4 c. + 2 TBSP melted coconut oil
1/4 tsp. sea salt

The Filling:
1 c. peeled, small-diced ripe peaches
1 c. blueberries
1 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 TBSP organic cane sugar
1 TBSP arrowroot (corn starch works if you don’t have arrowroot)

Topping:
1/2 c. crumble
1/3 c. shelled and chopped pistachios
1/4 tsp. vanilla
honey, to drizzle after baking

Heat oven to 375 F. Line a 8×8 pan with parchment paper. Peel and dice peaches, then put in a small bowl. Wash and dry your blueberries and add those. In this same bowl, add the cane sugar, lemon juice and arrowroot (or corn starch – they both work as a thickening agent), and give a light stir. Mash just a couple of the blueberries, so their vibrant juice comes out. Give a stir, and your mixture should get the prettiest rose-colored hue. (I’m in to things like that. You could totally skip the mash!)

In a medium-sized bowl, mix oats, all-purpose flour, spelt flour, light brown sugar, pure honey, melted coconut oil and sea salt. Note that you could use whole wheat flour, or just more all-purpose flour if you don’t have spelt on hand. They will absolutely still turn out great! Your mixture shouldn’t be too wet. Add another TBSP of spelt flour and stir, if needed. Scoop out a 1/2 c. worth of the crumble, and set aside. Use what is left in the bowl to press evenly into the bottom of your pan.

Pour your attractive peach-blueberry mixture over the crumble crust in the pan and gently press down evenly.

Put the 1/2 cup crumble you removed back in the bowl by itself. After you have carefully removed the shells from the pistachios and chopped them, add to the remaining crumble with and vanilla and stir. Scatter the topping over the fruit – there will be some spots where you can still see the peaches and blueberries poking through. Press the topping in to place.

Bake for about 35 minutes – you want the top to be fragrant and golden. After you pull the pan out of the oven, let cool for 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator. They will continue to firm up. Wait a good 45 minutes or so before you pull them out to cut. We store ours in the fridge for the one day they last around here!